All-terrain tires and gas mileage

[MrNoodly]

If you've switched from highway tires to all-terrain tires, or vice versa, did you notice a change in gas mileage? I'm looking for actual experience, not theories or opinions.

 

[steamjam1]

My experience: I didn't really hardly any gas mileage difference between road tires and A/T tires as long as you keep the tires inflated correctly. Mud tires are noisy... Street tires are quiet. Mud tires don't last as long as street tires. A/T tires are a good compromise. BF Goodrich KO tires are great as long as your not in snow... Goodyear Wrangler tires are great until you see mud.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

If you've switched from highway tires to all-terrain tires, or vice versa, did you notice a change in gas mileage? 

I replaced BFG Rugged Trail (highway tires) with Cooper Discovery AT3 (All-terrain) about 20,000 miles ago on my 2012 Ram 4X4 PU.  I keep track of every fill on a spreadsheet.  The difference in gas milage is down in the noise, I maybe lost a couple tenths.

 

[KathyC]

I replaced factory tires with Les Schwab Back Country All Terrain on my Promaster camper van. No difference in mileage; huge difference in handling. Very pleased.

 

[highdesertranger]

it's been so long since I had street tires on a vehicle that I can't answer. I am thinking the early 80's. highdesertranger

 

[Rabbit]

I suspect that the specific tires in question matter a lot. I had a 1995 Chevy K3500 5.7 4x4 for 17 years with General-brand street tires, and regularly got fourteen-fifteen MPG. When I went to cheap no-name (I forget specifically which brand) Wal-Mart all-terrain tires, I dropped all the way down to ten to twelve for the next two years until I sold the truck with them still on it. That's huge as a percentage, but I blame the change to a cheap off-brand as much as the change to the new tire-type. It's not a mistake I'll ever make again.

Maybe the new tires were called "Liberators"? That sounds right, but I can't recall for certain.

 

[losthighwaydrifter]

I went from firestone TransForce to kumo rt51s night and day as far as traction in snow/dirt roads never go in mud/off road. On a 1996 c2500 2wd diesel. mileage did drop 1-2 mpg on long highway trips nothing around town mileage still sucks! lol

 

[Van-Tramp]

I just went from 29" streets on all four wheels to 31" AT. I can't say how much I lost just to the AT tires though. I lost some for an overall van-weight issue (it weighed in at just over 7500lbs!!!) as well, and more to the types of roads I am driving this year (up and down steep forest roads) compared to other years (mostly Interstate)

Basically, I doubt the tires played a huge roll, but did play some roll.

 

[bullfrog]

It is hard to get good gas milage with a flat tire, which is usually what happens on the roads I drive with street treads and less plys.

 

[QinReno]

It is hard to get good gas milage with a flat tire, which is usually what happens on the roads I drive with street treads and less plys.

I'm with BF here. After 12-weeks of van traveling on 3 trips, I think having a good AT tire is more important than possibly losing a couple of MPG during travel. Paying 10% more to put gas in the tank isn't a huge issue, given what it already costs to be in this lifestyle in the first place. 

My used GMC Savana van came with the original factory tires. These have steel belts, inflate to 80 PSI, and are made for carrying approx 3000-lb loads in the van, so they are apparently fairly tough.
https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/bridgestone-r265/p/23017

However, on my very first trip in the van last fall when coming out of Death Valley on the Panamint Hwy, I ran over some nasty piece of metal that made a huge cut in the tread. I ended up driving 350-miles on the spare before I got to a place where I could get another matching tire.

When these tires wear out, I'll put some much more robust AT tires on the van, especially now that I know how bad the typical BLM road is.

 

[velojym]

I moved from road to Cooper Disco AT tires too, on my '04 Suburban. No noticeable change in mpg.
They're plenty quiet and comfortable on the road, and do just fine in any off-pavement driving I've been doing lately.